


Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)

by Meaningless_Sky



Series: Elizabeth’s Fic Archive (All My Works) [39]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Also Pidge Makes A Sex Joke, Arguing, Because of Reasons, Blade of Marmora Trials, Dirty Jokes, Emotions, Episode: s02e08 The Blade of Marmora, Eventual Relationships, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, I can't believe that's actually a tag, Injury, Keith Hates Them, M/M, Mild Blood, No Smut, Shiro Is V OOC, Thanks Pidge, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 00:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19120534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meaningless_Sky/pseuds/Meaningless_Sky
Summary: She looked so young like this, so defenseless and innocent. He had to constantly remind himself that she was just fourteen years old. An inexperienced cadet with very little training, thrust into a role nearly too big for her to handle that she tried valiantly to fulfill despite her youth and hesitation in such matters. She had matured in the past four months, and carried herself with a different sort of air, her very presence commanding obedience, drawing the attention of anyone in the room.He stared back up at Keith’s lifeless form through the pod’s screen, and he waited.





	1. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What happened?” Allura’s voice was muffled and far away, like he was hearing it from underwater.
> 
> “He was training on level seventeen without armour or another Paladin to keep an eye on him. I knew he was training and I didn’t even think to make sure he wasn’t being reckless about it again. That was a lapse of judgment on my part, I’m so sorry, Princess.”
> 
> “No,” Lance croaked. Why did Lance sound so small all of a sudden? Was he okay? Keith really hoped he was okay. “It was my fault. I yelled at him earlier, when we first got back. Because Blue took a hit when he wasn’t looking. He said he would cover me, and he looked away because Red almost got sucked into the whatchamacallit right before the Galra retreated. I wasn’t thinking, I just got mad and wanted to take it out on something or someone, and...Keith was the closest thing, and when we got to arguing, as usual, I...I sort of just blew up at him. I...I told him I hated him.”

Lance had been reading some ancient Altean book when Keith went past, and he took the first opportunity he saw to yell at him. Of course. He hadn’t seen him since the battle, and Keith had very nearly been struck down, and all Lance could seemed to do was yell at him. He was the one who had started thinking Keith was his adversary, and Keith was sick of it. He just wanted to be friends. He had never wanted everything to be a fight between them, had found their rivalry childish, even. And yet he never said anything to counteract their supposed ongoing competition.

“I did what I could, Lance! You can’t expect more out of me than I can provide! There was no way I could have shielded you in time, even if I had been looking.” Lance wasn’t even looking at him anymore, glaring fiercely at the ground between his boots. “So you admit that you weren’t even looking for danger?” Lance snapped. Keith flinched, but Lance didn’t seem to notice.

_Just get it over with, Lance. We both know you hate me. Say it and let’s move on._

He couldn’t remember what they were arguing about, but out of nowhere his vision went white and he was just so _fucking_ mad at how _fucking infuriating_ Keith was being. Why couldn’t he just accept that something had happened and the team took a critical blow because of it? “So you admit that you weren’t even looking for danger? You were supposed to have my back, Keith! How hard is it to warn me that there’s a _possibly deadly missile_ headed straight for me? It could have seriously hurt Blue! It could have hurt _me_!”

“I should’ve been watching closer, I get it! But I couldn’t watch out for you guys if Red had been put out of commission, Lance! We haven’t had a bonding day recently, it feels like we’re slipping away from each other, which wouldn’t be as big of an issue if we were better at fighting once we were separated! We don’t have any time to get to know each other better with the threat of the Galra so close. We’re spending every free moment we have strengthening our bonds with our Lions, and getting as much rest as we can. And even then, we’re barely functioning!”

Lance glared at him. “Why don’t you go train more, then? I mean, since you obviously care so much more about being able to hold out on your own than you do about us. We’re supposed to be a team, Keith. Get yourself together,” he snapped. “God, I hate you sometimes.” He briefly registered that that was the wrong thing to say, but before he could take it back, Keith had spun around and was gone. He clenched his fist, punching the nearest wall. “Dammit...Keith, wait up!” The door slammed closed behind him, and Lance winced at the echoing boom.

“Lance?”

“Shiro,” he responded coolly.

“Everything alright?” Shiro asked, narrowing his eyes at the blood on his knuckles. Huh. Guess he punched the wall harder than he had meant to. “You seem a bit upset, is all,” he continued when Lance glared at him.

“Fine. Just a bit wound up.” He was keeping his answers short, and he knew Shiro could see right through him.

“Fighting with Keith again?”

“None of your business,” Lance growled. Shiro raised an eyebrow skeptically, and Lance crumbled without Shiro saying a word. “Yeah. We...we both said some things we shouldn’t. He went off towards the training room.”

“I’ll check on him later,” Shiro said, coming over and placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I’m a bit concerned about you, though, Lance. You’ve been more emotional lately, and you don’t normally pick fights with Keith loud enough that we can hear you from across the Castle.”

Lance paled. “Y-you heard us?”

“Nothing much,” Shiro reassured him. “Just vague shouts and the door slamming, I assume when Keith walked away.”

Lance glared at the ground, cheeks flushed, too embarrassed to meet Shiro’s calculated gaze. “I’ll apologize after dinner.”

“Probably a good idea. You both need time to calm down before you face each other again. Go get some cookies, Hunk’s been in the kitchen since sunrise.”

Lance was already halfway to the door. “On it.”

“Save some for me,” Shiro called after him.

He grinned. “I make no promises!”

 

Either the training bots were getting faster, or Keith was getting slower, and honestly, he really couldn’t tell anymore. _I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._ Lance’s words echoed in his mind, only spurring him on further. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck, and he shifted his grip so that he could wipe it away before it trickled under his shirt collar. There were more bots than he could handle by himself, he knew that, but he didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want to stop mid-simulation. That would only prove what Lance had said earlier. That he was weak, that someone might get hurt because of his stupidity. Because Keith Kogane made stupid mistakes that almost got his fellow Paladins, his teammates, his _friends_ , killed.

Because Keith Kogane wasn’t good enough. Because Keith Kogane had failed his team. He always did, at some point, didn’t he? Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he activated his bayard and charged the bot, disabling it with a single stroke and charging for the others, eliminating them in minutes. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he retreated a few paces and raised his bayard again.

“Begin level seventeen!”

 

Coran retreated to his quarters, collapsing on his mattress and pulling a blanket to his side with a small sigh of relief. One of the mice had taken up temporary residence beside his pillow, it seemed. He grinned down at the small, fluffy creature, reaching over to pet it’s head gently, but it squeaked in alarm and raced over to him, pointing frantically towards the door.

He frowned, but moved for the door. The little animal hopped down from the bed and raced under the door, waiting for him just outside. He hurried after it as it took off down the hall, racing straight for the training deck.

He could practically hear Allura. _‘Have you informed the other Paladins of a possible threat?’_ He jogged after the mouse, who seemed to be trying to spur them on faster. “After I check the source of whatever has the mice worried, I’ll return to the bridge and call the Paladins together,” he promised himself. He picked up his pace and nearly sprinted into a training bot as the simulation activated a new level. Keith was backed up against the wall, bayard barely raised, exhaustion evident in his movements. One of the bots had gotten behind him, and it was obvious he hadn’t seen it. One moment, Keith was turning, sword raised to cut it down, and the next, he was on the ground, blood staining his dark shirt. Coran froze, momentarily forgetting how to shut the bots down. Keith was screaming, a horrible, guttural screech of pain that Coran hoped he never had to hear again as long as he lived.

“End simulation!” a voice screamed from behind him. Coran all but sprinted towards Keith, who was lying motionlessly on the ground, his ragged breathing shallow and irregular. Shiro and Lance appeared behind him as he struggled to lift the Red Paladin. He mumbled something in weak protest.

Shiro swooped in and, staying crouched near the floor, scooped him up easily, adjusting his grip to keep the Paladin from slipping. “Shiro? Let go, I gotta get past this level,” Keith whined. Or, Coran assumed that was what he said. His words were slurred and barely audible, and the next sentence was obscured as Shiro turned to Coran, Keith still gently cradled (rather precariously) in his arms. The boy had gone completely limp, eyes fluttering shut and no longer squirming away weakly.

“Get Allura. He needs a pod, now.”

Coran didn’t hesitate.

 

The bots sprang from the floor and immediately attacked. _After this one. Just one more level, and I’m done._ He barely had time to complete the thought before one of the training bot’s swords swung up in an arc and slashed down across his back, knocking him to the floor. The other one (where had the others gone? There were so many just moments ago) raised its sword, fully prepared to impale him. He rolled to the side at the last second, and the sword caught his shoulder. He yelped, clamping his mouth shut around the scream rising in his throat. Before he could grab his bayard from where it had skittered across the floor to fetch up against the wall, the bots were on him, sending him crashing to the floor. He wasn’t sure how long he was trapped there, but it was enough to render him nearly unconscious. His slender form convulsed, assaulted with wave after wave of screaming pain sailing through every nerve in his body.

“End simulation!” a voice shrieked, but he didn’t have enough energy to look up. It sounded a bit like Lance, and his brain shut down. Lance was mad at him. Lance had nearly gotten hurt because of him. He had to get better, why was Lance ending the simulation? Didn’t he understand the situation?

He made a garbled noise in the back of his throat and tried to sit up, only to collapse backwards. Arms wrapped around his torso, holding him up before he could crack his skull against the floor. Shiro’s worried face floated into view above him, twisted in concern and fear. “Shiro? Leggo, I gotta get pas’ this lev’l,” Keith slurred. “Gotta keep L’ce safe….”

“Get Allura. He needs a pod, now.” Shiro scooped him up as he spoke, cradling him gently. Keith allowed his body to go boneless, head lolling against Shiro’s neck, too tired to keep his eyes open. Why was he so tired?

“What happened?” Allura’s voice was muffled and far away, like he was hearing it from underwater.

“He was training on level _seventeen_ without armour or another Paladin to keep an eye on him. I knew he was training and I didn’t even think to make sure he wasn’t being reckless about it again. That was a lapse of judgment on my part, I’m so sorry, Princess.”

“No,” Lance croaked. Why did Lance sound so _small_ all of a sudden? Was he okay? Keith really hoped he was okay. “It was my fault. I yelled at him earlier, when we first got back. Because Blue took a hit when he wasn’t looking. He said he would cover me, and he looked away because Red almost got sucked into the whatchamacallit right before the Galra retreated. I wasn’t thinking, I just got mad and wanted to take it out on something or someone, and...Keith was the closest thing, and when we got to arguing, as usual, I...I sort of just blew up at him. I...I told him I _hated_ him.”

_But you have every right to hate me, Lance. If I don’t even like myself, how can I expect someone as strong and kind and beautiful as you to love a halfbreed like me? I don’t deserve your friendship, much less you even tolerating me. I’ve been so lucky so far, Lance. Thank you._

He hadn’t really meant to say that out loud, but it came out as a slurred mumble anyways, and judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, it hadn’t exactly been the most intelligible thing he’d said all day. As his eyes slipped closed again and he drifted off into something resembling sleep, he heard Lance’s faint voice ask, “he knows I don’t hate him, right?”

_What?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Lance. You need to go to bed. Hovering outside his pod isn’t going to make Keith heal any faster,” Shiro reminded the younger Paladin, setting a tray of space goo on the step next to him before retreating a bit. “Lance,” he tried again. Lance whipped around to face him. “Oh, kiddo...get some sleep. If there’s any change, I’ll come get you,” he promised. Lance’s eyes were bloodshot from sleep deprivation, puffy and red from crying earlier. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was standing straight up on top of his head from his constant worrying.
> 
> “But what if he wakes up and no one is there?” His voice is raspy and hoarse from disuse, and it makes Shiro’s heart ache.
> 
> “I’ll wait out here for a bit longer,” Shiro promised. That seemed to satisfy Lance, who stumbled for the door, plate of space goo clenched tightly in one hand. “I’ll come get you if he wakes up, alright?” Lance nodded, not looking up. As soon as he was out of sight, Shiro let out a sigh and collapsed against the side of the pod. “Wake up, Keith...we need you.”

Allura stared at her shaking hands, Keith’s blood still darkening her skin, splashes of red against the white cloth of her uniform. Coran stood behind her, a comforting hand placed on her shoulder.

“It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known Number Four was going to do something so reckless,” Coran told her gently. “Even Number One didn’t know he was training in such an unsafe manner.”

“I still cannot help but wonder if I could have done something had I thought to check that everyone was resting in the wake of the last attack. We were barely able to overcome them,” Allura reminded him.

Coran didn’t respond. Allura pushed herself to her feet, wiping the remaining blood off on the rag she held. Burying her face in her hands, she let her breath out in a whoosh. “I hope he is alright. The Paladins care deeply about him, even if he is scared to allow himself to believe it.”

“He’ll come around. Give him time, Princess. He’s still just a child.”

“He may be a child, but he’s still a part of this team, and regardless of any outside circumstances, he has to participate. Voltron is dependent upon the mental and physical health of the Paladins and their bonds to not just their Lions but to each other,” Allura argued. “They have to know each other better than they know themselves.”

“Some of them are still children, Princess. You need to give them some time.”

“They’ve had time,” Allura growled. “It’s about time they tried strengthening their bonds and working as a team. They made mistakes during the last battle that could have cost us the war.”

“Number Five is still nothing but a child,” Coran snapped. “Number Three is barely more. Number One is the only true adult, and even he is relatively young, even by human standards.”

“And what about Keith?” Allura countered. “Surely he’s old enough to be able to handle the responsibilities given to him?”

“Number Four is the second oldest, but he has not yet entered what humans consider adulthood. I believe he once said he had seen naught but seventeen deca-phoebs.”

That gave Allura pause. “Young as they may be, none can afford the luxury of growing lax in their duties during the horrors of war.”

“Children are meant to be exempt from the bloody trials war, save the most trying times when all are needed.”

“They are needed! Every one of them. We cannot afford to lose another Paladin, Coran. I refuse to lose them.”

“Have you grown attached to them, Princess?” Coran sounded surprised.

“Perhaps,” she whispered. “I cannot help but feel like I have an obligation to protect them. If I cannot even do that, then what am I?”

“An Altean Princess learning how to navigate working without her father by her side or her race behind her. We’ve been awakened after ten thousand years, Princess, you’re still adjusting.”

“All good things come to those who wait. We’re not going down without a fight.”

“Exactly. Now, let’s go find you something to eat. You haven’t been well.”

She nodded, and followed Coran towards the kitchen.

 

“Lance. You need to go to bed. Hovering outside his pod isn’t going to make Keith heal any faster,” Shiro reminded the younger Paladin, setting a tray of space goo on the step next to him before retreating a bit. “Lance,” he tried again. Lance whipped around to face him. “Oh, kiddo...get some sleep. If there’s any change, I’ll come get you,” he promised. Lance’s eyes were bloodshot from sleep deprivation, puffy and red from crying earlier. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was standing straight up on top of his head from his constant worrying.

“But what if he wakes up and no one is there?” His voice is raspy and hoarse from disuse, and it makes Shiro’s heart ache.

“I’ll wait out here for a bit longer,” Shiro promised. That seemed to satisfy Lance, who stumbled for the door, plate of space goo clenched tightly in one hand. “I’ll come get you if he wakes up, alright?” Lance nodded, not looking up. As soon as he was out of sight, Shiro let out a sigh and collapsed against the side of the pod. “Wake up, Keith...we need you.”

The pod whirred, but didn’t open. Keith remained limp and unconscious behind the screen, eyes closed, expression blank. It was unnerving. He pressed his forehead against the glass, closing his eyes. “Lance needs you, Keith. We need you.” He paused, drawing in a rattling breath. “You need to stop pushing yourself so hard. If you’re exhausting yourself and allowing the training bots to nearly kill you like you did today, you can’t help us when we really need you. If you get hurt training, you don’t stand much of a chance against an actual threat. Not that you can’t hold your own, but you’re weakening yourself because you think you aren’t good enough. And...and you don’t understand that you _are_ enough, Keith, you’ve always been enough. I don’t know how to get through to you that you don’t have to prove anything to us. You….”

There was a muffled sob from behind him, and he jolted upright, turning to face a trembling Pidge. “I’m sorry,” she wailed, launching herself at him. “I just...I wanted to make sure he was alright, I didn’t mean to...to…” Her heaving sobs were coming short and fast now, cutting her off and leaving her breathless.

“Pidge...Katie. I know you’re worried about Keith, we all are. But you need to rest and take care of yourself too.” She shook her head violently, clinging tighter to him. He closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of Pidge’s small body pressed close to his. She had become something of a daughter to him in the months they had been a part of Voltron.

“Can I...stay here with you?” Katie’s voice was smaller than usual, as if she expected to be turned down.

He didn’t answer, just pulled her into his side and pulled his jacket off, wrapping it around her shoulders, tucking it under her chin as her exhaustion overtook her and her head sank down to rest on his shoulder, already asleep.

She looked so young like this, so defenseless and innocent. He had to constantly remind himself that she was just fourteen years old. An inexperienced cadet with very little training, thrust into a role nearly too big for her to handle that she tried valiantly to fulfill despite her youth and hesitation in such matters. She had matured in the past four months, and carried herself with a different sort of air, her very presence commanding obedience, drawing the attention of anyone in the room.

He stared back up at Keith’s lifeless form through the pod’s screen, and he waited.

 

They were staring at the pod again. Pidge had retreated to bed just before Lance showed back up, and he had given her a weak smile as they passed each other, one Pidge didn’t return, her eyes far away and haunted. Lance knew he should be asleep, but he wanted to be there when Keith woke up. And if Shiro was allowing him to stay without any argument, well...he’d take what he could get at this point.

“He’ll be okay, right?”

Shiro hesitated, and Lance’s heart dropped into his stomach. There was a long pause before Shiro answered, voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know.” He shivered. “He’s a strong kid, but the injuries he sustained…” The Paladin trailed off, unconsciously rubbing his palms together, clenching his fists.

“Why would he just give up like that?” Lance asked, staring at the pod. “It looked like the training bots had been...the simulator is supposed to recognize that whoever was fighting the level was disarmed, there’s a light that flashes and that creepy robot voice turns on. Says ‘ _level failed_ ,’ or some shit. Why didn’t it activate the safeguards Allura put in place?”

Shiro pulled his jacked tighter around himself. “I don’t know thy the simulation didn’t recognize that Keith was obviously out of commission and in no condition to keep training. As for Keith... He’s already exhausted, and he hasn’t been sleeping well. Combine that with the stress of the recent mission, the injuries he had refused to get looked at after that battle, and the fact that he didn’t have his armour on when fighting training bots that we as a _team_ haven’t been able to get past...I’d say he took a blow hard enough that he wasn’t able to recover in time. By the time I got there, one of the bots had stabbed him in the shoulder. The armour would normally stop the swords from doing anything worse than leave a minor bruise, and it would absorb a majority of the blow, but without it, he’s virtually defenseless. It’s like a bird with broken wings fighting a cat. The cat will win, eventually. The bird still has a fighting chance for a while, flapping away and maybe scratching a bit, but it will eventually lose energy and be forced to succumb to the higher-”

“Stop...please,” Lance whispered, shuddering at the mental image of Keith lying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. A Galra soldier standing over him, gleaming sword dripping with blood, the dark red liquid dripping onto the floor. Keith’s eyes open but blank, emotionless, empty. His body limp and motionless, unresponsive on the ground-. Lance whimpered, leaning in to feel for a pulse, his eyes never leaving Keith’s prone, bloody form. The Galra grinned at him, his unnaturally sharp canines covered in blood, and Lance suddenly noticed the puncture wounds on Keith’s throat, the flesh torn and bloodied, almost as if something ( someone ) had ripped into the skin with their teeth, mauling at it like an animal, and suddenly, Lance is on his knees, back in the Castle med bay, struggling to keep from vomiting. He can vaguely feel Shiro’s hand on his shoulder. He jerks away, falling to his stomach as he struggles to get the coppery tang of blood out of his nose, shove away the feeling of the tacky blood under his fingers as he feels for a pulse. It had fluttered under his hand for a moment before disappearing entirely. It had felt so _real_ and-

“Lance?”

 

“Lance?” Shiro advances slowly, eyeing Lance warily. The younger Paladin doesn’t move, pupils blown wide in terror, mouth open in shock and horror. “Lance, can you hear me?” There’s a small whimper, but no audible verbal response from the Blue Paladin. “Lance. You’re safe. I’m right here. Look at me, please? Deep breaths, kiddo, follow my lead. Steady now.” Lance’s eyes lost their wild, terrified look, and he looked at Shiro again, noticeably calmer. “There we go. Are you alright?”

“I just...started thinking about what you said, about Keith, and I…”

Shiro placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I took my description too far. I apologize, I should have known better, knowing how you feel about him.”

Lance whipped around to face him, panic seemingly forgotten for the moment, but Shiro knew it would come back to haunt him the moment his cheek hit the pillow that night. Images vivid enough to cause a full-scale panic attack never went away with a fight, and Shiro had a feeling he’d see the young Paladin before the night was out, pacing the hallways or punching a wall somewhere. “Wh-what?”

Shiro smirked. “Don’t worry, I was referring to your newfound friendship. Although your gay panic is understandable. Keith is rather attractive,” he teased. Lance’s face went red and he hid his face in his elbow.

“I do _not_ have a crush on Mullet,” he hissed. Shiro stayed silent, and Lance glanced up, cheeks still flushed. “I _don’t_ , Shiro!”

“Whatever you say, Lance. Whatever you say.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge slammed her glass down onto the table, glaring at Keith and Lance, who had been exchanging awkward half-glances across the table since they both walked in, Keith still in the middle of pulling his usual jacket over his shoulders, and Lance ruffing his hair. They had frozen upon seeing each other, and both moved in the opposite direction, sitting down and immediately reaching for the same dish of space goo, which Hunk had miraculously managed to transform into something resembling the smell (and taste) of Earth pancakes. Lance blushed when his hand met Keith’s, whereas Keith just jerked his hand away and glared at the table setting in front of him, as if it were all the fork’s fault.

Keith jerked up with a gasp, falling forward through the now-open screen of the healing pod. “Wh-” Someone grabbed him before he could faceplant onto the floor, and he instinctively grabbed onto them, clinging to them while he attempted to regain his balance.

“Oh thank god.”  _ Lance? _

“Lance, what-”

“We almost lost you...god, Keith, please never do that again,” Lance mumbled against his ear, pressing his face into Keith’s neck.  _ Why is Lance getting all touchy-feely? _

“What happened?” he asked, surprised when his voice came out much weaker than he expected. “How long has it been?”

He could fee Lance’s tears running down his neck, hot against his skin, which was still cool from the healing pod. “You were in there for more than two quintants,” he whispered. Keith jolted, nearly dislodging Lance.

“Almost three days?” he demanded incredulously. Lance nodded against his shoulder, and he curled his arms tighter around him. Keith hugged him back, startled. “Why are you here?”

Lance flinched. “What kind of question is that? We were  _ worried _ about you, mullet. Just because we fight a bit doesn’t mean I  _ hate _ you. Is that what you think?” A tear slid down his cheek, and Keith reached out to brush it away.

“I...I guess?”

“Keith...I don’t hate you. Just because we’ve had out differences in the past doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon you. I know how much being trapped in a pod sucks, and the initial shock when you first get out can be a bit…” Lance’s voice trembled, just the slightest bit.

“Overwhelming?” Keith suggested. Lance nodded.

“You’re okay now, though. You’re gonna be okay. We’re both gonna be okay.”

Keith smiled down at the taller Paladin. “Yeah. We’re gonna be fine.”

 

Pidge slammed her glass down onto the table, glaring at Keith and Lance, who had been exchanging awkward half-glances across the table since they both walked in, Keith still in the middle of pulling his usual jacket over his shoulders, and Lance ruffing his hair. They had frozen upon seeing each other, and both moved in the opposite direction, sitting down and immediately reaching for the same dish of space goo, which Hunk had miraculously managed to transform into something resembling the smell (and taste) of Earth pancakes. Lance blushed when his hand met Keith’s, whereas Keith just jerked his hand away and glared at the table setting in front of him, as if it were all the fork’s fault.

“He likes you back, you know. Stop dancing around each other and one of you please just ask the other out or something. It’s painful watching you two pine like hopeless romantic Soulmates. This has reached ‘Hunger Games star-crossed lovers’ or ‘destined to be together but deny their feelings because they’re both stubborn blockheads’ bullshit. It’s cliché. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cliché romance, but this is actually bordering on excruciating.” Pidge grumbled. Keith choked on his space goo, staring at her in surprise and confusion. Lance was out of his chair in seconds, clearing his throat and mumbling something about having to clean his room. Keith followed moments later, calling back to them that he was going to the training deck. Pidge smirked over at Allura and Shiro triumphantly. The latter had collapsed onto the table, head in his arms, shoulders shaking with laughter.

Allura was glancing between Pidge and the door, obviously confused. “Why did they leave in such a rush? Lance is very organized, why would he need to clean his room? And Keith knows the training deck is locked, none of the Paladins are allowed on there today for the sake of conserving everyone’s energy and getting rested up in case of another surprise attack.”

“Lance and Keith have the hots for each other,” Pidge supplied helpfully with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “And Lance wants to stick his meat rocket in Keith’s hot pocket, if you get my drift.” Shiro fell out of his chair, silently shaking. Allura glanced down at him, but he waved her off, still laughing too hard to speak.

“If they are so infatuated with one another, why don’t they merely talk it over? It would be much easier than running around in circles, avoiding the topic and stuttering over their words whenever they get within a few steps of each other, would it not?” Allura inquired curiously. That set Shiro off again, leaving Pidge the only one coherent enough to answer.

“They’re both hopelessly in love, and both of them are too stubborn to admit it. Well, Lance is. I think Keith’s refusal to actually do anything about his crush is mostly fueled by a deep seated fear of rejection,” she explained. Allura nodded, going back to her breakfast.

“The we’ll just have to do something about it, won’t we?”

Pidge grinned fiercely. “I like where this is going. What’d you have in mind?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry, this one is rather short. Next one will hopefully be longer.  
> That being said, read, review, and I hope you enjoy.  
> Toodles!  
> ~Liz


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Keith-"
> 
> "Forget I said anything," Keith snapped, cutting him off. "It was stupid of me to think you'd actually like me in the first place."
> 
> "Like you?" Lance spluttered. "Like you? Keith, you're my best friend! Of course I like you!"
> 
> "Then why-"
> 
> "Because I was scared!" Lance blurted out before Keith could finish. "I was scared, because there was something about you that screamed at me to stay away, but there was that pull underneath. All you wanted was someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on, and who was I to refuse you something so simple? And...when I realized that I liked you, I tried to start little fights, spark competitions with you. So you would notice me. And after a while, I noticed that it had become second nature to want to do those little things, the ones that I knew would get you to notice me."
> 
> Keith blinked uncomprehendingly at him for a moment. "So all that shit you pulled back at the Garrison was because you wanted to be my friend and didn't know how to ask?"
> 
> Lance scowled. "Maybe..."
> 
> Keith stared at him a moment longer before snorting. "Wow. And I thought I was the one with shitty socializing skills."

“Shiro, where are we  _ going _ ?” Keith demanded again. Shiro just grinned back at the younger Paladin.

“You’ll see,” he responded. He knew he was being cryptic, and Keith hated it, but he wasn’t going to be the one to reveal their plan to the young boy. “I already told you, Allura would prefer that I not inform you of anything until we have some solid information.”

Keith growled, but didn’t inquire anything further.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Lance’s voice reached them from the other end of the hall, and when Keith paused, hesitating at the edge of the closet, Shiro took the opportunity to strike, shoving Keith sideways into the closet. He let out a startled cry that was muffled by the door slamming behind him. There was a similar cry from Lance as Allura and Coran wrestled him through the other door.

“What the fuck is this, seven minutes in heaven? Because I am definitely not kissing and/or screwing Mullet over here,” Lance yelled.

“Then get off me!” Keith shrieked. There was a bang, followed by a yelp of pain from Keith. “Ow! Lance, watch your elbow!” Shiro chuckled and hit the light switch, the light glowing under the door.

“Let us out!” The two angered Paladins chorused. “Knock it off, Keith, you’re making it worse,” Lance yelped directly afterwards.

“You’re  _ bleeding _ , you idiot!” Keith hissed. “Let us out, Shiro, this isn’t funny!”

“We will when you two idiots work out your differences,” Pidge called, somehow managing to sound smug and apologetic at the same time.

“He’s going to kill me,” Lance declared dramatically. There was another thud and a quiet cry of pain, this time from Keith.

“It’ll be the other way around,” he complained.

“Play nice, boys,” Shiro called through the door, turning to walk away. Pidge scurried after him, face twisted in concern. “Having second thoughts?”

“No. Just...what if they actually end up hurting each other? I know they’re both pining for each other like crazy, and they’re both idiots, but they still fight a lot, and Lance has had an unfortunate tendency to take their little rivalry too far before,” Pidge remarked. Shiro nodded along. “And there’s no guarantee that they won’t just lie and say they talked so we’ll let them out.”

“There’s cameras. I disabled the footage, it’ll be nothing but audio...just in case.”

“Just in case wh-oh.  _ Oh _ . Never mind. Didn’t need that image. Thanks, Shiro. Means a lot.”

“Anytime, kid. Anytime.”

 

“What the fuck is this, seven minutes in heaven? Because I am definitely not kissing and/or screwing Mullet over here,” Lance complained. "Not that I'd be opposed," he mumbled, hoping Kith was too wrapped up in trying to escape to hear him. When he turned, Keith was nowhere to be seen, and he squinted against the glare of the bare light bulb thing hanging from the ceiling. They bickered back and forth until Lance heard Shiro retreat back down the hall, Pidge no doubt following close behind. He groaned. "Great. Stranded."

Keith had retreated to the corner, hands gripping his hair, head down, refusing to make eye contact. After several minutes of nothing but laboured breathing, Lance shuffled closer, growing a bit concerned for the other Paladin. “Keith? Buddy? You okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Keith snapped. Lance moved back, hunching in on himself.

“Jeez, sorry. Didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”

Keith sighed. “Lance, I didn’t mean it like that.” He ran a hand through his hair, and Lance unconsciously followed the movement, watched Keith's fingers ruffle his bangs, briefly exposing his eyes. His own blue eyes met Keith’s deep violet, and they both froze, staring into each other’s eyes. Keith moved away first, unzipping his jacket.

“They could have at least turned the heat down,” he grumbled, trying the arms tight around his waist. Lance blushed, turning away. The black shirt Keith wore under his jacket was tight, defining his chest and leaving little to the imagination.

“Um. Hot. Yeah.”

Keith glanced at him. “You alright?”

“Let’s see,” Lance hummed. “I’ve been violently thrown into a closet and locked in with my mortal enemy, it’s too hot, I’m tired, and I’m on a literal spaceship. Yeah, I’m doing just fine.”

Keith grimaced. “Yeah, it takes some adjusting, doesn’t it?” His face contorted suddenly. “Mortal enemy? I thought we were finally getting somewhere.” There was something else there, a look of dull hurt and rejection. Lance’s heart jerked in his chest.

"Keith-"

"Forget I said anything," Keith snapped, cutting him off. "It was stupid of me to think you'd actually like me in the first place."

" _ Like _ you?" Lance spluttered. " **_Like_ ** you? Keith, you're my best friend! Of course I like you!"

"Then why-"

"Because I was scared!" Lance blurted out before Keith could finish. "I was scared, because there was something about you that screamed at me to stay away, but there was that pull underneath. All you wanted was someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on, and who was I to refuse you something so simple? And...when I realized that I liked you, I tried to start little fights, spark competitions with you. So you would notice me. And after a while, I noticed that it had become second nature to want to do those little things, the ones that I knew would get you to notice me."

Keith blinked uncomprehendingly at him for a moment. "So all that shit you pulled back at the Garrison was because you wanted to be my friend and didn't know how to ask?"

Lance scowled. "Maybe..."

Keith stared at him a moment longer before snorting. "Wow. And I thought I was the one with shitty socializing skills."

"Hey! I'm usually really good at making my intentions clear! I just get flustered around cute-I mean, around people I don't know sometimes," Lance protested.

Lance couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or if Keith’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “Well, whatever the case, can we get out of here now, please? I’d rather not be stuck in here any longer than necessary,” he griped. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Keith grunted. “Shiro, let us out! We talked!”

“Keith, wait,” Lance cried out. “I have something to say first. And this is probably going to change your opinion of me completely, and I’m okay with that-”

“You sound like Pidge. What, are you actually a girl too?” Keith was teasing, Lance knew that, but it still hurt that Keith wasn’t taking him seriously. It must have shown, because Keith shrank back with a barely audible, “sorry.”

“I...I said earlier that I liked you. And...I didn’t mean that normally?”

Keith raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “So, you’re gay? And you like...me?”

“Y-yes?’

Keith slumped. “Thank the stars.”

Lance pulled back, curling in on himself. “Huh?”

“I like you too, Lance.”

"Oh. Oh! Wait, really?" He leaned in almost unconsciously, eyes flicking down to Keith's lips. He rolled his eyes.

"You going to kiss me or not, McClain?"

Lance wasn't exactly one ot back down from a challenge, especially when it came from Keith. Keith smirked, grabbing his jacket and jerking him closer, deepening the kiss. Lance let out a startled noise, but immediately relaxed, giving in to Keith’s sudden newfound dominance.

He almost missed the door opening, revealing a smug Pidge and a grinning Shiro. The smile dropped off her face as soon as she registered the scene before her.

“What the FUCK?”


End file.
